A Belated Update

Sorry for the lack of an update, folks. I’ve been a bit busy with things like grading, and also got sick.I can’t lecture today (April 27th) but I should be okay by Thursday.There were some inquiries as to your current articles and upcoming plans, so here’s my plan right now:

  1. Your best draft of your article is due this week. Some people were confused, because I changed the date, so I’m going to simply say that if you haven’t handed in your article, then you must give me a hard copy (printed out) by Thursday this week (April 29th). I’ll grade/comment on the articles as quickly as I can and get them back to you, and from the day I return them to you, you’ll have a week to get them ready to submit to the CUF magazine. And yes, besides submitting a hard copy to my mailbox in IH341, you need to upload the file to the FINAL SUBMISSIONS subfolder in our Google Docs folder.
  2. For next week, we will be trying to get a topic for your next article. Please write up a short pitch for the three topics you’ve got in mind. (Note (a) why you think your topic is interesting to readers, (b) why you think it’s worth writing about, (c) the angle you intend to use to approach the topic, and (d) what kind of research you plan to use.
  3. I mentioned an interview with Guy Ritchie that I wanted you to read. It’s here. Please print a copy, read it, and bring it to class on Thursday, April 29th. We’re going to discuss it a bit, and it will become the basis of a homework assignment.

Article for Critique

Folks,

For Tuesday, March 23rd: Those of you who have pitched topics and got a final topic to work on, should have begun writing and researchuing your articles already. Those of you who have no pitched yet, think about your topics and improve your angle ideas and pitches. We’re going to be finishing the pitching phase on Tuesday. I will talk to you about research methods and policies in the second half of the class.

For Thursday. March 25th: Here is the article for Critique that I said we’d be critiquing on Thursday, in the first hour of class:

Remember, you will talk about:

  1. What effect you think the author wants to have in the writing, and what it’s “about” (themes, ideas, etc.)
  2. What you think is effective in the writing
  3. What you think is not so effective, or could be improved
  4. One single suggestion for the author to focus on, to get a general and wide-range improvement in the story

Please type up your notes formally, so you can pass them to each author. This will help you express your ideas more clearly in the short time you have for offering criticism. Bring two copies, as one copy is for my files. (You will get credit for the total number and quality of pieces of written feedback you provide, in addition to the verbal feedback you give.)

Homework for Week 1

Folks: here’s a list of the homework for Week 1 (ie. due Tuesday of Week 2):

  1. Pick up a copy of a mass-market English-language magazine. As I said, I don’t care whether you choose something simpler and more basic (and learn about structure and attention-grabbing) or choose something more intellectual (and learn more about complex, sophisticated writing). Remember, I asked you NOT to choose Time magazine for this purchase. I also recommend not choosing People magazine. Here are some magazine titles that come to my mind:
    • “Simpler” Magazines:
      • Cosmopolitan, Vogue
      • Maxim, Men’s Health
    • More Challenging Magazines:
      • The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly
      • The Economist, Newsweek
    • Specialized Magazines:
      • Guns and Ammo, Snowboarder Magazine
  2. Read through the copy of the CUF magazine that you received in class today. Think about the range of styles and topics in the magazine. This is in the rough ballpark of what we’re looking for in your articles in our class, as well as the magazine in which your own work might get published, so reading the magazine is a great idea!
  3. Write a list of 5-6 topics which you think would make interesting reading for your fellow CUK students. The topics don’t all need  to be serious, but they shouldn’t all be light or “puff piece” topics, either. We also need “think pieces,” like the articles on suicide and city redevelopment in Seoul which are featured in the current issue. As well, we could use a few interesting interviews, so one of your topics could be a suggested personality on campus who’d be interesting to interview for the CUF. Submit your typed list of possible topics to me in class on Tuesday next week.
  4. Work with your assigned partner or group to fill out the Student Information Sheet you got in class. (Or see below to download another copy.)  You will interview your partner, and fill out his or her information; likewise, your partner will interview you and fill out your information. After the interview, rank how interesting the interview was, by rating it from 1 (really not interesting) to 5 (very, very interesting). Attach your photos and submit the Student Information Sheets next class (ie. on Tuesday).

That’s it! See you next week!

Student Information Sheet

Here’s a copy of the Student Information Sheet, in case you need a copy:

Welcome: Journalistic Writing, Spring 2010

Welcome to Journalistic Writing, Spring 2010 Semester. Here’s the syllabus for our course, of course subject to revision or change at some point. I will let you know if anything major changes!

Here is the Revised Syllabus (PDF) with the new assessment system included:

Your homework for next class is to bring a photograph of yourself, of roughly passport-photo size, in which you are (a) alone and (b) recognizable.

See you in class!